Saori Sumeragi
| name = Saori Sumeragi | kanji = 沙織スメラギ | romaji = Sumeragi Saori | race = Soul | birthday = October 19 | age = 2100+ | gender = Female | height = 5'9" | weight = 169 lbs | eyes = Light Blue | hair = Scarlet Pink | blood type = B- | affiliation = Kawahiru Dojang | previous affiliation = Wandenreich | occupation = College Professor | previous occupation = Quincy Princess | team = Kawahiru Dojang | previous team = Vandenreich | partner = Seireitou Kawahiru | previous partner = Yhwach Micythos | base of operations = Kabuki District | marital status = Single | relatives = (father) Yhwach (brother) Micythos (brother) Seireitou Kawahiru (half-brother) Kamui (half-brother) | education = University of Karakura | status = Active | signature skill = Reijutsu }} :"Beautiful, ingenious... and drunk at least 50% of the time." - Seireitou-shishō Saori Sumeragi (沙織スメラギ, Sumeragi Saori), having been once known by her birth name as Astraia (アストレア, Asutorea), is one of the original Quincy as well as the sister of Yhwach and Micythos; an ancient soul that carries immense spiritual powers. Born to serve as the one who would succeed her father's legacy, as the one who would bring balance between the worlds, her birthright is the designation "Ω" — "The Opposer" (却下神 (ザー・オポーサー), Kyakkagami (Zā Opōsā); Japanese for "God of Rejection"); ironically opposing the power of the almighty, as this is a power born in Saori so as for her to extinguish all evil in the world as a true angel of justice. She was apparently once regarded as the "Quincy Princess" (滅却師の姫, Kuinshī no Hime; literally meaning "Destruction Monk Princess").Bleach story; Invitation! Gathering of the Strongest! Saori had found residence in the World of the Living, where she is a chemistry professor at the University of Karakura. Upon joining together with Seireitou Kawahiru in recent chapters, whom is actually her half-brother, she becomes one of the five Masters of the Kawahiru Dojang. She is regarded as a Keisei, renowned by the title "Sword Maiden" (身御前, Migozen; literally "Mistress of all Blades/Sword Lady"). Appearance ally.]] Saori has natural long midnight-purple hair which is kept in a traditional japanese style, but whenever she enters a battle with an intent to kill, she has a habit of undoing her hairstyle, letting her long purple hair flow freely. She has light-pink eyes that glow bright pink when she is using any form of spiritual energy, and wears a soft pink lipstick. Saori is shown to have a slender yet noticeably curvaceous frame, which, despite her age, makes her appear to have the frame of a young adult. Her beauty has been pointed out several times and she's been called the most beautiful woman in the world by several characters. Her beauty is noted by many allies and enemies alike: Kyebaek Tae claimed that her beauty is second only to that of Soul Society's Keisei, while others such as André Riccardi and Jihan Kanda claim she is the most beautiful woman in the world. Despite Saori normally looking calmly beautiful, when she is angered, she looks very intimidating, nearly frightening Kizaru Mōji when the latter nearly killed Minato. Saori is shown to have "massive" breasts, as coined b, appearing to be larger than that of even Shiori Miyamoto. They are said to be J-Cup by Japanese standards, exceeding the sizes of more notable women such as Rangiku Matsumoto. Due to their size, Raian Getsueikirite comically stated that they "have their own gravitational pull." When in the human world, Saori is depicted in average human clothing, consisting of a pink suit and a short black skirt. While in her teacher garb, she keeps her hair in a japanese knot. However, when outside of her gigai, she is shown to let her hair go loose. Saori wears traditional priestess clothing, complete with a dark red hakama kept on by a robe-comprised obi. Her top is a silk kimono that fully seems to cover her chest. The upper parts of her arms are visible, as both the shoulder and sleeves are separated from one another, though kept together by small red laces. The ends of her sleeves end in tan grey edges, designed with similar red laces that run around the horizontal edges of the sleeves. Saori wears a dark red tomoe necklace around her neck, although her later appearances show her without it. Once she allied herself with Seireitou Kawahiru, Saori took to wearing a very short purple Chinese dress which shows her cleavage and belly button. She is probably the most mature-looking person, let alone woman, in Seireitou's group. Like Shiori, she has a well-developed body figure as well as being the most firm (Shiori being the second most firm). She always ties her hair up after waking up and is often seen with an alcohol bottle. Despite this being her normal attire, along with her Miko attire, Saori enjoys wearing a medley of rather revealing clothing during moments of leisure. While in the World of the Living, Saori dresses in rather casual clothing, consisting of a blue blouse with a short skirt, along with a light yellow jacket, which show off her curvaceous figure. It should also be noted that Saori wears glasses when in the human world, and keeps her hair in curls, as opposed to the way she keeps it normally. While training at the Dojang, Saori wears a small pink kimono and long purple stockings. Underneath, she wears bandages over her chest and a fundoshi. At times, she's also seen wearing a variation of her former Miko attire, although with a more provocative feel to its style. This makes Saori one of the few characters in the series to have a medley of outfits to be seen in during significant events. Near the ending stages of the Jinki Fragment arc, Saori begins to wear a more traditional uniform. It consists of a tight leather top that reveals the shape of her large breasts, a miniskirt and stockings, and wears a grey haori over her shoulders with a rather unique crest printed on both frontal areas; it is presumed that this crest is a symbol of the Miko. In regards to her leather top, she constantly complains that "her large breasts continue to suffocate her during battle", much to Seireitou's, and even Raian's, chagrin. She wears her blade on her hip, the same area where Seireitou keeps his Zanpakutō. It is sometimes shown that she wears the haori as Seireitou does, instead of keeping it over her shoulders, but this is only shown at certain intervals. Saori will often wear the traditional clothing of ancient japanese Jujutsu, which consists of a white kosode that is fashionably designed with red stitching running down the sides of the robe, and connect the torso with each of the sleeves with the same sort of stitching. Her kosode is usually left open slightly, enough to reveal her impressive cleavage. On each side of the respective sleeves is similar stitching which is designed to form an eye-like picture, with two opposite-facing curves and a small circle in the center of those two curved lines. Due to her kosode being unique, it is also relatively shorter than most, ending right at her waist (potentially due to her abnormal breast size). The edges of her kosode are colored with a light soft gold color. She wears lavender hakama which, due to the shortened kosode, reveal her naked upper thighs on each side of her body, with two straps tied on each side of the hakama. She wears a light brown tomoe necklace around her neck crafted from sandalwood, which has the effect of throwing off scent-based sensoring techniques. Saori is usually seen wearing her martial arts clothing whenever she trains Minato or Hinata, but tends to be seen in this uniform whenever she intends to confront someone in a one-on-one fight, upholding the sacred fighting rules of her martial arts. Saori Uniform.JPG|Saori's main uniform, worn during the Jinki Fragment arc. Saori during the QBW.jpg|Saori, during the Quincy Blood War, dressed in traditional armor. Saori other armor.jpg|Saori in more modern armor. Saori summer kimono.png|Saori dressed in a summer kimono. Saori human.jpg|Saori as a nurse. Saori normal clothes.jpg|Saori dressed in modern clothes. Saori magazine gravure.jpg|Saori on a gravure idol magazine cover. Saori posing.jpg|Saori posing for a shoot. Personality Similar to Shiori Miyamoto, Saori is shown to have a gentle and warm personality that augments her appearance. She is a passionate yet soft-spoken, and caring woman who uses honorifics when addressing those that hold a sort of importance to her, regardless whether they be her allies or her enemies. Saori often thinks of others before herself, risking her life to help anyone who needs her. She is also extremely brave when she needs to be, going up against powerful enemies to help her friends despite clearly being outmatched. Her selflessness and sense of responsibility are what pushes her to carry her burden of being the only survivor of her people. Saori is rather carefree at times, and revels the idea of a free spirit, refusing to be chained to anyone else's will. Potentially due to this, Saori reveals herself to actually be a rather stubborn and lazy person, much like Seireitou. It should be noted that Saori is often in a drunken stupor, revealing a faint blush whenever in this state. Her personality also becomes completely like that of a naive child, though this quickly turns into a flirtatious attitude when near older men, and sometimes even younger men. .]] Normally, Saori displays a very relaxed personality, but often becomes giddy when discussing matters of love. She is not above using witty or sarcastic remarks when the situation arises, especially with Seireitou. She's also confident in her natural sex appeal and not afraid to speak her mind as she openly admitted in front of others. In fact, her beauty has caused almost every male to happen upon her to develop some form of lust toward her (only Seireitou and Raian being the only exceptions). Despite this, however, Saori has proven herself more than capable of making people around her do what she wants through simply her words and actions, even though it would appear as though she did not have a hand in their decisions. No matter the appropriate level of the matter, Saori is more than willing to admit her feelings and opinions to others, regardless of the effect of those notions on others. It is shown that she is not above using her beauty to get her way, and often points out when she believes she is more beautiful than other females around her. Even though Saori displays most of the time a cheerful attitude towards life, she has shown that she can become serious when the situation demands it. For instance, she doesn't tolerate people that talk down to her. When it happens, she displays cruel usage of her powers and allows nobody, except for Seireitou Kawahiru, to talk down to her again. She adamantly believes in the strength of bonds, and goes out of her way to protect the bonds she forms. Raian once stated that she and Seireitou share a similar mindset in this regard. Saori is accustomed to addressing Seireitou as "Kawahiru-kun." Saori has also demonstrated that she is perceptive when it comes to people's mental and emotional state, especially in regards to Seireitou, able to tell what kind of driving force is pushing someone. In appears that during their continued partnership, Saori has began to develop a crush on Seireitou. She consistently sees herself as a big sister toward Seireitou, implying she is much older than him. It is too early to say if this is either a fleeting infatuation or deep love, but she seems rather obsessed with having relations with him. This is best seen that whenever she assists Seireitou, in moments when he collapses from his injuries or exhaustion, she always has his head fall in-between her bosom. Despite this, she cares deeply for him, and vowed that she'd follow him no matter where he goes. Throughout many instances in the series, Saori has shown to have the capability to completely frighten anyone she speaks to. This is considered extremely similar to Retsu Unohana, in the regard that Saori herself retains a gentle and pleasant tone of voice, and despite this, even Captain-level opponents fear her. In fact, it has been stated that Saori is just as frightening as Unohana, though her playfulness makes it far more difficult to pick up on it until Saori repeats her statements. This is most often shown when she speaks with Minato Kuramoto and Raian Getsueikirite, among many others, and even Seireitou himself at times. The reason for this is unknown, although Raian described the feeling he'd get as though he'd "rather face a thousand Seireitou than to incur Saori's wrath." Thusly, Saori is easily capable of manipulating anyone she speaks to into doing what she commands, even though it comes off as a request or suggestion. She likes Japanese dancing, and in addition to her shihakushō robes, she enjoys buying superfluous amounts of clothing from various department stores in the human world. When she feels like drinking, she finds free people and invites them to come out with her, and then has them treat her to drinks, so that she wouldn't have to spend any money. This is shown when Saori decided to spare an enemy's life, in exchange for said enemy paying for sake. History uniform.]] .]] .]] Saori's past isn't explained much, but it appears that she survived the massacre of her people, becoming the last of the Miko altogether. She was a rather exceptional Miko in her own right, and was a teacher to a younger generation of Miko. As per to her escape, she fled to the World of the Living and took residence with Kisuke Urahara. During which time, she took up a position at the University of Karakura, becoming a chemistry professor. When Sōsuke Aizen and his followers invaded Karakura, Saori set up a barrier around the Urahara shop that protected it from the output of spiritual energy being given off by Aizen's followers and the Captains. At some point, Saori was one of the Hakkō Ichiu, one of its first members, and was also the first to pass her title on to another. Synopsis attire.]] Part V Equipment .]] *'Sword:' Saori wields a standard-sized katana, which is worn on her back, given to her by Seireitou as a birthday gift (it should be noted that she would've preferred jewelry, in lieu of a weapon). The sword is unique in the fact that it resonates to Saori's spiritual energy. While not often, she uses it during battles of which she has sworn to kill her opponent. It sports a dark lavender-colored circular tsuba, with small protrusions at each ninety-degree interval, and a moon-like design wrapped around the hilt's collar. The hilt itself is a pink color, and the sheath is a makeshift grip of bandages. Powers & Abilities Immense Spiritual Power: According to Seireitou Kawahiru, even by Seijin-level standards, Saori possesses tremendous spiritual energy. While not projected as spiritual pressure, Saori's reiryoku quantities are monstrously vast, to the point where Seireitou feared to even attempt to sense her presence, for fear of feeling lost in their spiritual power. The color of it is shown to be silk pink, and at times, can even turn into a more white color. However, the color is shown to revert to a light purple when releasing her Shikigami power. Similar to Shiori Miyamoto, Saori's spiritual power possess purification elements; being almost holy, to which demons fear to come near her. In fact, it's purification power is so great, that no Hollow can come into contact with Saori's reiatsu without being purified. It leaves a warming presence whenever she allowed her energy to flow. Saori is also able to erect barriers and break seals with her energy. In the past, as one of the Hakkō Ichiu, Saori boasted an impressive amount of spiritual power, enough to bring down anyone to their knees with a single glance. Back then, even Kyebaek Tae, a man known for his immense power, commented how her presence was monstrously overwhelming; becoming even more unbearable when Saori's anger was invoked. She was called a "beautiful monster" by the other Hakkō Ichiu because of this, prompting a great many of them to not get on her bad side. .]] *'Seihaku:' Not Yet Revealed .]] *'Dōhaku:' Not Yet Revealed Immense Strength: Emotional Perception: Saori is occasionally able to see a person's emotions in physical form. To her, the darkness in Sao Jiang's soul appeared as heavy, black robes constantly weighing him down, even when he was laughing or smiling. When Raian Getsueikirite felt remorse for his failure to defeat Dante, Saori noticed a strange purple aura surrounding the brown-haired man. She is also able to easily track someone by a specific combination of personaility traits, in which she is able to find hidden opponents by simply noticing their hue. Hakuda Master agent.]] Master of Martial Arts: While the extent of her proficiency in hand-to-hand combat is not known, her standing as one of the Kawahiru Dojang's masters implies she has great ability. Seireitou has openly declared her to be a master of the martial arts. It is clear that she holds great acrobatic talent, normally catching Seireitou off-guard by hanging upside down from the ceiling of the Dojang. Like Seireitou, she utilizes a unique form of hand-to-hand combat by combining traits of different martial arts. It is shown that she has immense knowledge of Jujutsu, and with the addition of other martial arts, forged her own unique form of the aforementioned style. She is arguably one of the most powerful masters of the Kawahiru Dojang, able to engage in a battle against both Jūsuke Kannogi and Méi-Fēng simultaneously and unarmed, managing to give both of them a difficult time, with neither of them being able to make contact. She could dominate and pin-down Méi-Fēng with virtually no effort in a one-on-one fight and finished while sustaining only one cut on her clothes, due only because of a momentary lapse of focus on Saori's part. She is capable of instantly shifting the balance ratio between skills and raw strength in her techniques, in which she can throw away any form of skill for sheer raw strength in her strikes, or abandon raw strength and use only skill, both cases of which are extremely effective. *'Front Kick' (前蹴り, Maegeri) *'Roundhouse Kick' (回し蹴り, Mawashigeri) *'Ryūseiken' (竜イワシ県, "Flowing Water Sphere"): It is a technique created by Saori that mimics the properties of Seireitou's Seijūken. It has only been seen in small instances, but seems to follow the same principles as Seireitou's technique. An absolutely calm mind is necessary to use it, as even a slight degree of emotion will disrupt the technique. Zanjutsu Master .]] Expert Swordsmanship Specialist: Trained by Seireitou, Saori is skilled in the art of swordsmanship, usually only employing her sword when she faces a opponent with a drawn weapon. Her body flows elegantly when engaging in combat, so finely tuned that she can stop her attacks at a moment's notice and subsequently execute lethal attacks with absolute precision. Seireitou comically claims that the only thing stopping Saori from achieving masterful technique is that fact that her large breasts get in the way of her sword forms. Despite this, Saori shows exceptional usage of Kendō sword techniques. It should be noted that even though her sword attacks are strong and lethal, similar to that of her hand-to-hand fighting style, she focuses her style entirely on skills. She will only utilize enough force to shatter the opposing blade of her opponent, and nothing further, as she dislike shedding blood. Her method of flying through the air with her sword attacks has led to Raian nicknaming this as "zero gravity" fighting, with Mūhana Nura describing the way she fights with her sword as "being like a feather that can slice through the wind". Soul Distribution While her brother Yhwach possesses the ability to grant the Schrift power to a Quincy, and her other brother Micythos can take them away, Saori possesses the unique ability of Schrift Genese (聖文字起源 (シュリフト・ジェネシス), Shurifuto Jenisu; German for "Script Birth", Japanese for "Holy Letter Creation"), allowing her to "give birth" to the holy letters of the Stern Ritter; thereby being capable of actually inventing these unique powers in accordance with her whim. Astraia is known in Quincy lore as "the mother" of the holy knights that defend the Quincy lineage. In contrast to Yhwach's ability, which awakens the unique Schrift power within potential Quincy by a ritual that involves drinking his blood, Saori's ability is dependent upon the extent of her imagination and emotional content, allowing her to seemingly create any Schrift power that can be used by her personally; albeit within the limits of her innate capabilities. By combining her ability with Yhwach, it becomes possible to grant any individual whatever power Saori manages to create. Subsequently, Micythos is also capable of stealing any power Saori manages to create, making his Schrift Erbe ability a very dangerous contender against her Schrift Genese. Reishi Dominance Having been once known as the "Quincy Princess", Saori is infamously known as the greatest and most powerful Reijutsu master in all of Soul Society's history; born from her innate power as a Quincy to dominate reishi. Prior to joining the Hakkō Ichiu, she was a dangerous criminal that destroyed villages upon villages with her abilities, renowned for her immense beauty that was matched only by her unrivaled power. Hirenkyaku Master: Saori's movements are fast enough that it is normally impossible to notice the path she takes from where she left to the area she appears next. She is shown to be capable of effortlessly keeping up with Seireitou's speed, a feat that is accomplished by very few. It doesn't seem as though she uses any sort of Hohō technique, but she seems to generate a flash of energy at her feet and even around her body sometimes, reminiscent to that of a Fullbringer's "Bringer Light" technique. Saori can easily close tremendous gaps of distance in the blink of an eye while remaining undetected, as shown from her ability to surprise Seireitou, who is one of the most proficient in the art as well. In addition, she can appear to be in several places at once, wiping out an entire L'Obscurité squadron in seconds. She is seen to be so fast that Méi-Fēng, a master of the Shinigami Hohō technique of Flash Step, could barely keep up while Saori was still holding back. Minato compared Saori's speed to that of Seireitou, being unable to personally decide which one was faster. *'Illusion Clones:' Using her immense levels of speed in multiple instantaneous short bursts, Saori can appear to create solid clones of herself. It is unknown how many she can form at any one time as she has been seen creating anywhere between a single clone to near a hundred. They are indistinguishable from her true self, and are capable of individual movement. Even when used in battle, the clones will appear to take on solid characteristics (such as being able to make contact with physical attacks, and being hit by an opponent's attack), but eventually fade away due to being illusionary. Blut Master *'Blut Vene' *'Blut Arterie' *'Blut Jauche' Rejection of Phenomena The Opposer (却下神 (ザー・オポーサー), Kyakkagami (Zā Opōsā); Japanese for "God of Rejection"): Saori has the power to reject fate by denying or undoing events in various forms. This power can be used for attack, defense, or healing. When being used, the color of this power is exemplified by lavender. In Raian's words, she "violates the realm of the gods." Saori's mood directly influences the effectiveness of her powers. Feelings like doubt or worry make them weaker, while conviction makes them stronger. At their height, her powers resemble those of a deity in strength. It is this power that causes Seireitou to nickname her the Girl who surpasses God (神を超えた少女, Kami o Tsugu Shōjo). Saori's power has both an offensive and defensive nature, both of which host a plethora of unique techniques. Although the lesser used of the two, Saori's power can manifest by offensive means. Ideally, her techniques are capable of crushing everything within her sight because her power works by "rejecting all opposition". What this typically means is that the offensive abilities she can produce are, under ideal circumstances, unstoppable and undodgeable to a reasonable extent since they deal in completely eradicating the opponent(s). Saori's powers can also manifest into a defensive nature, in which her techniques are designed to protect herself or others from harm. While they ideally all involve arranging her spiritual energy into various shields and barriers, they can also invoke the full extent of her "rejection of phenomena" power by way of healing. Despite these two natures, Saori's powers can manifest in many other unique ways as well. *'Senten Kesshun' (千天結盾, Thousand Heavens Links Shield) is Saori's defensive technique. The incantation arranges her spiritual power into a triangle that has the ability to repel the "outer shield." A shield is raised between her and her enemy, and it repels the attack she receives. Because the barrier rejects negative events, it can also function as an airbag of sorts, allowing Saori and anyone else nearby to survive a potentially lethal fall unharmed. Using this technique, Saori is capable of also redirecting an opponent's attack in another direction, using the shield as a bounce-off point. *'Senten Zanshun' (千天斬盾, Thousand Heavens Slayer Shield) is Saori's main offensive technique. It summons a massive wave of spiritual energy from her being, or even a specific part of her body, that has the ability to repel "both sides of the shield." This means that this attack is assumed to be capable of cutting through anything, but is only as strong as Saori's will to win. However, this can be misplaced with the will to protect another, which ends up strengthening the power of this ability. Besides this, it is a technique similar to the Getsuga Tenshō, in which the blast destroys a massive portion, if not the entirety, of the desired target. Saori can also use her sword as a focus for this technique, and launch it from her blade, making it appear as if it was the wake of her swing that causes damage. The strength of the attack is great enough to slice right through massive battleships, from a considerable distance away, a feat which frightened Minato Kuramoto when the latter was informed about it by Seireitou. *'Senten Kōshun' (千天抗盾, "Thousand Heavens Defying Shield") is one of Saori's techniques that combines both offensive and defensive properties. The incantation integrates a small compressed amount of spiritual energy into the center of her Santen Kesshun ability, creating a shield that at the very instant it receives an attack, disperses the resultant force in the form of a destructive and explosive blast that at the same time, is automatically returned along an opposing trajectory. Unlike Orihime Inoue's technique, Saori can use this shield to absorb incoming attacks prior to its explosive successive response. *'Senten Kisshun' (千天帰盾, "Thousand Heavens Return Shield") is Saori's "healing" technique, and the standard of her ability to reject phenomena. The incantation allows her to form a half-oval barrier around whatever or whomever Saori wishes. Their ability is to repel the "inner shield." The shield placed inside means that they repel the damage within a limited area. In other words, they return a subject covered by the shield to the state that they were before taking damage. Saori is capable of fully restoring Raian's destroyed arm from nothing, to which Urahara deduces this as the "Rejection of Events". Her ability is to limit, reject, and negate any kind of event that has happened to her target. It is an ability that returns her target to its former state no matter what has happened to them. Seireitou comments that the technique's healing speed is potentially faster than Retsu Unohana. However, it is far more powerful than "Temporal Regression" or "Spatial Regression" as it easily tramples into the horizon of events that God has decided. It is a power that trespasses into God's territory. She seems to be fully capable of resurrect the dead, but this hasn't been fully proven quite yet. Saori is also able to use foreign spiritual power to influence the healing rate of her target. *'Shisui no Hō' (止水の法, Law of Stilled Water): Not Yet Revealed *'Senten Shikkushun' (千天斥盾, "Thousand Heavens Disqualification Shield"): Quite possibly one of Saori's most cruel techniques, it is essentially the opposite extreme to her power of healing. By clapping her hands together as if to engage in prayer, Saori enacts a barrier by touching the opponent with her hand which emits a very faint hue of spiritual energy. By tapping them at a point on their body, she constructs a sphere of energy within their bodies which expands in a mere couple seconds to the outside, surrounding their entire body in an appropriately-sized lavender barrier. At this instant, the opponent begins to suffer the pain of the reopening of every single wound that they have ever experienced in their entire lives from the moment of their birth. She accomplishes this by allowing her power to act upon the memories within the victim's reiryoku, allowing her to ideally "reject" every single instance of a victim's wounds being healed either by another person or naturally. Every single wound, whether it be physical or mental, immediately bursts open and takes its toll on the victim of the technique. In most cases, if not all cases, this would cause an opponent to fall dead at the very beginning of the wounds reopening. Saori can use this on a smaller scale, using a weakened form of Senten Shikkushun to reopen more recent wounds that had been healed within a specific time period. The technique is not without payment, as it uses a significant amount of power from Saori, proportional to the amount of time that Senten Shikkushun ranges from on the individual victim. Kirchenlied Spellcraft Among the Quincy powers of offense and defense, the Kirchenlied (聖唱 (キルヒエンリート), Kiruhienrīto; German for "Church Hymn", Japanese for "Holy Chant"), Saori's main power is the ability to use certain spells that are unique to her, which call upon the power of various spirits. Very much like Kidō, her spells do not possess any correlation among themselves, making up a very broad range of abilities and effects. Most of her spells requires an incantation, which must be spoken in order for the technique to be used. However, due to her level of mastery, she can cast spells without requiring the incantation and can even cast them silently. Having trained in this style of magic ever since her youthful beginnings, Saori boasts that she was one of the greatest masters of Shikigami spellcasting, with her skills allowing her to effortlessly contend and even defeat renowned Kidō Masters that were aligned with Soul Society. Seireitou noted that her skills with Shikigami are capable of challenging the might of Kamui's Grandmastery in Kidō, something she does not deny, albeit Kamui's other abilities and greater level of experience prompts him to still outmatch her in execution. As deadly a person she is, Saori's spells reflect this nature, in her preference to overwhelm an opponent with absolute force, crushing them within an inch of their lives. Kirchenlied: Sankt Zwinger (聖唱: 聖域礼賛 (キルヒエンリート: ザンクト・ツヴィンガー), Kiruhienrīto: Zankuto Tsuvingā; German for "Church Hymn: Saint Ward", Japanese for "Holy Chant: Sanctuary Veneration"): Not Yet Revealed Kirchenlied: Blüten Palais (聖唱: 花館 (キルヒエンリート: ブルテン・パレイ, Kiruhienrīto: Burūten Parasu; German for "Church Hymn: Palace Blossoms", Japanese for "Holy Chant: Flowers of the Castle"): Saori is capable of manipulating reishi particles to generate thousands of cherry blossoms that surround her body. Normally, she initiates this technique while dancing in circles with her arms extended outwards, making some sort of reference to her love of japanese dance. Once formed, Saori can mentally control the blossoms, or even direct them with her hands. As the blossoms moves through the air like torrents of waves, it gives the appearance of cherry blossoms flowing swiftly along with the wind, shown in traditional japanese settings. Essentially, these blossoms behave almost identically to that of the blade fragments that are cast by Senbonzakura's abilities, as noted by Raian. Saori is capable of hardening the blossoms to the point that they become as hard as steel, allowing her to shred opponents at a distance and break through almost any defense. She commonly forms them into large masses, designed to obliterate opponents instantaneously. Saori also has those masses of blossoms form various shapes, such as large whip-like structures to be used in battle, or even large walls to defend against multiple enemy attacks. The blossoms, whilst in this hardened state, are also used for defensive purposes, as they can even protect Saori from an incoming sword swing. This ability of her's can be manipulated for various unique techniques. *'Tracking:' By keeping a blossom on a target's person, Saori is capable of tracking them, no matter to what degree they conceal their spiritual energy. *'Hanahime no Kōtan' (出産花姫, Birth of the Blossom Princess) is a technique in which Saori can turn her entire body and clothing into thousands of cherry blossoms, which she can control at will. Due to the technique being capable of instantaneous activation, it is an ideal means of dodging an opponent's attack, in which even the high-speed abilities of Sannotō Kawahiru, and later Klaus, were unable to make contact. *'Konohanasakuya' (木花之開耶姫, Goddess of the Cherry Blossoms): Not Yet Revealed Shikigami Manifestation .]] Derived from her Kirchenlied spellcraft, Saori is also capable of manifesting her spiritual energy as living creatures known as Shikigami, similar to Shinigami forming Zanpakutō by solidifying their spiritual power. Ideally, she can manifest as many as she wants, although many of them do not possess minds of their own, simply being formed to carry out individual tasks such as the Jigokuchō. They appear as floating white serpent-like beings that normally fly around Saori's body until they are sent out to accomplish their respective duties. Saori's Shikigami are capable of solidifying spiritual energy around them into small orbs of light and carry them in their small arm-like appendages until Saori will use that energy to either empower herself or others. Her most significant Shikigami is Mikagura, whom has developed sentience and is also capable of manifesting into a human-like appearance, appearing as a young girl with long white hair dressed in a snow-white kimono, holding a light blue framed mirror in her arms which appears to contain special powers. spirit arrow.]] Merged Form: Not Yet Revealed power.]] Shiori's Power: When she saw Seireitou being attacked by Kamui, and pushed to the point of being killed, Saori's heart cried out for the power to protect Seireitou, finally coming to terms with her feelings. While what happened exactly is unknown, Kamui noted that Shiori Miyamoto's power was coursing through Saori's own spiritual energy. The transformation caused Saori's hair to become longer, and bright blue in coloration. Her clothes seem to have taken a slightly pinkish pearl color now. The powers exhibited in this form are still unknown, as Kamui felt that he no longer needed to continue fighting, but it is implied Saori's powers are far greater than before, possibly meaning she has become a transcendent. Ever since that time, Saori has been capable of speaking with Marishaten, Shiori's Zanpakutō, within her inner world. It appears that Saori managed to pull on the emotions within Seireitou that still bind Saori's spirit to the world and that her own will caused a transformation by accepting the soul's power within her. In other words, she created an internal Shikigami from within her using Shiori's soul as a base. It has been noted to be similar in theory to the Bankai Stage 2 concept. power.]] *'Ama no Habakiri' (天羽々斬, "Slash of Heavenly Wings"): Under Construction Sankt Klinge (大聖剣 (ザンクト・クリンジ), Zankuto Kurinji; German for "Saint Sword", Japanese for "Great Holy Blade"): As a Quincy born of the royal Atlantean bloodline, Saori can gather both spirit energy and particles together in order to form physical weapons. Her favored weapon manifests in the form of a traditional katana with unique features etched onto its handle and a decorative crossguard. It seems to also possess a pair of bells that are hung onto the end of the weapon's hilt by sturdy threads. The katana apparently carries an immense cutting power. Yofiel (神の風流 (イアシャイラ), Yōshieru; Japanese for "Beauty of God") While significantly weaker than her original Quincy: Letzt Stil form, due to the power and strain of reishi absorption being severely reduced, Yofiel can also assume a Quincy: Vollständig state. When activated, several purple feather-like spiritual energy bars appear from Saori's back, giving her the appearance of a multi-winged seraph. These wings allow acceleration in flight, providing an advantage in mid-air combat. Following suit, her eyes also glow with the same color and remain glowing whenever she initiates a spell or technique. Saori's wings draw in sources of reishi at rest, using it to supplement her own power while in this state. She has an easier time collecting this energy in environments with higher concentrations of spiritual particles, such as Soul Society or Hueco Mundo. Saori has revealed once that attaining a particular amount of reishi will allow her to evolve her powers. *'Enhanced Spiritual Power:' Saori's spiritual energy has become great enough that even Haru Kurosaki could not sense it. According to Haru, by achieving evolution into a dimension separate from the Shinigami, both Shinigami and Humans have become unable to feel her reiatsu unless she voluntarily lowers her level and allows them to interfere. Despite this, Saori's spiritual energy amount is staggering, but its limits are unknown. All of her attributes have been severely enhanced as a resort, being considered similar to that of a Shinigami's Bankai. .]] *'Terrifying Strength:' In this state, Saori's physical strength is absolutely astonishing. Her physical attacks are mostly punches and kicks which are supported by her ridiculous strength. With a single punch, Saori cracked the concrete underneath her effortlessly. Likewise, with a single thrust of her palm, she was able to break through Kyebaek Tae's body armor, which was supposedly as strong as steel, and even cause him to violently vomit up blood due to the force of the strike. *'Immense Speed:' As per all of her physical abilities, Saori's speed is greatly enhanced. She is able to move swiftly, dodging several point-blank attacks by skilled Shinigami. Whenever she moves, she leaves behind a purple body-shaped residue of her spiritual energy. *'Enhanced Reijutsu:' In this form, Saori's spells are enhanced several times over. The strength of her spells in the Vollständig state are far more devastating and effective than in normal circumstances. An instance of this is that Sana Myŏng was able to effortlessly block Kaminari, but was almost defeated in a single shot after being dealt an enhanced version whilst Saori was in her Vollständig. Quincy: Letzt Stil: Gottheit .]] Quotes * (To Hinata Kusuhana, about her unnaturally large breasts) "I was... blessed with these by Heaven!" * (To Seireitou Kawahiru) "Of course we'll be able to change. I'm sure of it. We really are weak creatures, but that's why we can strive to become stronger. Even if you feel it's useless, each step we take leads to something great. That's why I'm sure we'll be able to change. Because we're weak... and because death is inevitable... We try our best to live, and end up becoming stronger for it. If your heart is still hesitating... Try to remember. Remember why you fought, Kawahiru-kun. Remember why you are still fighting. You fought for them. For their future. And they, in turn, will fight for the future of those who will come after. Don't worry... I'll be there for you. So you won't have to do it alone." * "I'm not drunk, I'm just exhausted because I've been up all night drinking." * (Thinking about Seireitou) "Yes, I have no basis for this. Do you want me? I wouldn't ask that. I... I want you. You worry for me. You cry for me. You've become the bond that brings me strength. I've become reliant on the wind that blows from you... Kawahiru-kun." * (To Sōkudo) "Don't let this madness go any further. You might think that everything is going according to your plans, but killing "Silver Hairs" Seireitou is impossible. No... not just Kawahiru-kun. You seem to underestimate all of our powers. We are not fighting you as individuals with separate motives at heart... we are fighting you as one entity. Crushing us will not be an easy task." * (To Seireitou) "I am your sheath. I am destined to stand with you, no matter what." * "I won't forget that light like yours, Kawahiru-kun, which stems from the depths of your soul. Compared to that false light gilded with a gold shell... When you were angry, your entire soul was enraged. And when you would laugh, you did so with all your heart. The silver light you've always had... is infinitely more dazzling. I would never let a light as false as that man to lead me astray. So you have to stand up one more time... and grip your sword. If this world has been painted a false color, then bring back its true colors. Tear away the deceptions, and take back our world. Bring back everyone's true smiles. Remember it... The color of your soul." * (To Hiroi Kyozai) "You know, as you may have assumed, Kawahiru-kun is much stronger than me. That is a given. However, he dislikes shedding blood, and refuses to kill. He believes that the loser of a fight may become stronger than their opponent, supposing they walk away alive. I, however... do not have that same preconception about an opponent. Nothing but Kawahiru-kun could stop me from killing you should you make me engage in battle. But Kawahiru-kun is preoccupied at the moment, meaning nothing here stands between me killing you... except for your own decision to stand down." Bleach roleplay; Crossroads Collision, When Titans and Gods Clash! References Behind the Scenes Saori's official theme is "If" by Kana Nishino. Her birth name, "Astraia" (Astraea), an ancient Greek name referring to a goddess of justice whose name literally means "star-maiden", referring to the symbol of the Vandenreich. According to legend, Astraea will one day come back to Earth, bringing with her the return of the utopian Golden Age of which she was the ambassador.